Latest news with #Joint
7NEWS
26-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Ajla Tomljanovic gets ‘angry' to beat Maya Joint in all-Aussie rematch at French Open
As if stung by all the hoopla over the country's newest tennis star Maya Joint, the evergreen Ajla Tomljanovic got 'angry' and reminded Australia of her own enduring quality as she handed a lesson to her teenage pal at the French Open. On a day when Alexei Popyrin ended his Roland Garros drought and Daria Kasatkina savoured her first grand slam win under the Australian flag, the sight of three of the green-and-gold brigade powering into the second round even before Alex de Minaur makes his bow on Tuesday quite atoned for the miserable opening-day wipe-out. With nine in action on a manic Monday in Paris, there were inevitably casualties littered around the Aussies' perennial red tennis graveyard with Aleksandar Vukic, Chris O'Connell, Daria Saville, Kim Birrell and a battered Jordan Thompson all succumbing. But Tomljanovic, who at 32 looked as sharp as she's ever done, bucked the trend in outplaying the new teenage Morocco Open champion Joint 6-1 6-3. Joint, the 19-year-old Queenslander who had a whirlwind 72 hours while winning her first two WTA titles in singles and doubles in Morocco, beat Tomljanovic three days earlier in Rabat, when the former Australian No.1 pulled out when a set down to protect an abdominal concern. But the three-time grand slam quarter-finalist emerged a completely different proposition on Monday, switching to all-out attack against the French Open debutant on the faster Paris clay. Asked if she had a point to prove, Tomljanovic explained: 'My coach kind of gave me a really good pep talk - 'You've got to get angry, get determined' - and it really worked today. 'Maya had been playing so well, I had a few days to think about it and knew if I don't come out this way on the attack, it's going to be really tough. It's just nice to see everything pay off when I play the right way.' The victory sets up Tomljanovic with a glamour tie against fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, the little Italian who's become a big favourite with the locals since reaching the final last year. Kastakina, playing her first slam since switching allegiance from Russia in March, had to work hard to subdue the world's top doubles player, Czech Katerina Siniakova, 6-1 3-6 6-2. 'To play my first grand slam under the Australian flag, it's big honour. Yeah, just feel super happy and proud to also win the first match,' said the former semi-finalist. Earlier, Popyrin ended his nightmare sequence at Roland Garros for his first opening-round win there in six years as he was in command against Yoshihito Nishioka until the doughty Japanese had to retire with an injured back while trailing 7-5 6-4 1-2. After Sunday's first-day wipe-out with all three Australians exiting, Popyrin reckoned it was a 'nice feeling' to break the duck for the 16-strong green-and-gold contingent, the biggest at Roland Garros for 35 years. 'I feel like my game is starting to come back to me, the results are starting to show a bit more, there's more consistency and match wins every week. That's really important,' said the 25th seed, who tackles another left-hander, Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, next. Thompson bemoaned another blip in a 'brutal season' during which he's suffered a ruptured plantar fascia in his foot, a torn oblique and a groin injury as he was hammered 6-4 6-2 6-1 by rising Czech Jiri Lehecka. 'The only positive from today is the body got through unscathed, but I guess that's because I copped a whipping,' lamented the 31-year-old. Seeded opponents proved too much for O'Connell, beaten 7-5 6-3 7-6 (7-3) by the No.22 Ugo Humbert, Vukic, defeated 6-4 6-4 6-4 by No.24 Karen Khachanov, and qualifier Saville, who was outclassed 6-2 6-1 by Australian Open champ Madison Keys. Gold Coast's Birrell also found the in-form Romanian Jaqueline Cristian, beaten by Joint in the Rabat final, in a different league in a 6-1 6-0 hammering. Thompson also revealed Nick Kyrgios had been left 'down' by having to withdraw from his planned return with his mate in the men's doubles, ending the prospect of the former Wimbledon finalist's first competitive Roland Garros outing for eight years.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump raises politics in Arlington Memorial Day remarks
President Donald Trump, marking Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, waded into politics during remarks to pay tribute to those who died in America's wars. Trump took a swipe at the previous administration after speaking about the first soldiers who died at Bunker Hill. "Those young men could never have known what their sacrifice would mean to us, but we certainly know what we owe to them. That valor gave us the freest, greatest and most noble Republic ever to exist on the face of the earth. A republic that I am fixing after a long and hard four years. That was a hard four years we went through," Trump said, prompting some applause from the audience. "Who would let that happen? People pouring through our borders unchecked," he continued, though he did not explicitly mention former President Joe Biden by name. "People doing things that are indescribable and not for today to discuss." Still, Trump continued: "We will do better than we've ever done as a nation, better than ever before. I promise you that." MORE: Trump praises West Point graduates, touts 'golden age' of US military in commencement speech During an overcast morning, Trump took part in the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns before delivering his speech. "These warriors picked up the mantle of duty and service, knowing that to live for others meant always that they might die for others. They asked nothing. They gave everything. And we owe them everything and more," Trump said in his remarks. "The greatest monument to their courage is not carved in marble or cast in bronze -- it's all around us, an American nation 325 million strong, which will soon be greater than it has ever before," Trump said. "It will be." Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance received some cheers and shoutouts when they arrived at the Memorial Amphitheater. Hegseth, in his own remarks, repeatedly referenced the men who sacrificed their lives for the nation but made no reference to women who have served in the military or died in combat. Vance, meanwhile, noted Arlington National Cemetery is the "eternal resting spot for our nation's sons and daughters." At the Tomb of the Unknowns, Trump was joined by Vance, Hegseth and Commanding General of U.S. Military District of Washington Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp. All four men raised their hands in salute. Also in attendance were Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. John Daniel Caine, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Veteran Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and other Trump officials. The president earlier Monday had posted to his conservative social media platform a generic message in all-capital letters commemorating the holiday. In a second Memorial Day social media post, Trump focused largely on lashing out at federal judges and perceived political opponents. It contained no mention of U.S. military personnel who lost their lives while serving in the armed forces. Trump wished a happy holiday to all -- including "the scum" he said "spent the last four years trying to destroy our country through warped radical left minds." The rest of the post criticized the previous administration on border security, and hit out at judges who've blocked parts of Trump's immigration agenda. Trump, in his speech at Memorial Amphitheater, mentioned the upcoming military parade to mark America's 250th birthday. The June 14 celebration coincides with Trump's 79th birthday. "We're going to have a big, big celebration," Trump said in his remarks on Monday, adding that if he'd been reelected in 2020 he would have missed being president during this time. MORE: Army prepares tanks for DC military parade that could cost $45 million He also touted other big events coming to the U.S., including the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics. "Can you imagine I missed that four years? Now look what I have. I have everything. Amazing the way things work out. God did that, I believe that, too," he said. ABC News' Kelsey Walsh contributed to this report. Trump raises politics in Arlington Memorial Day remarks originally appeared on
The Advertiser
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Grim Aussie start but Joint venture lifts Paris gloom
Australia's newest tennis champ Maya Joint has breezed into Paris with a giggle, a slight air of disbelief but the unshakeable confidence of a fearless teen who quite fancies the idea of shocking everyone again with her first deep run at a grand slam. And the sight of the freshly minted 19-year-old Morocco Open champ excitedly taking a first hit on the Roland Garros clay on Sunday after a "crazy" couple of days when she won her first two WTA titles, in singles and doubles, felt just the pick-me-up the Aussies needed after a gloomy opening day wipe-out at the French Open. Wildcards Destanee Aiava, and Tristan Schoolkate both succumbed in straight sets on Sunday to hardened claycourt denizens while Rinky Hijikata's attempt at playing David to the giant American Reilly Opelka's Goliath didn't play to script either. But the good news? There'll be one Australian winner at least on Monday with Joint facing Ajla Tomljanovic, the battle-hardened former No.1 who the youngster has long looked up to. Yet though Joint cut a shy figure, sounding still a little amazed at what she's just achieved, it didn't stop her musing confidently here on Sunday: "I've definitely gained a lot of confidence from Rabat. Yeah, I think I can do well this week." There's been nothing bashful about her performances on court. Inscrutable behind her tinted shades, she displays the crisp hitting and clear thinking of a ruthless tennis veteran. She looks and sounds like a teen, just doesn't play like one. "It's really exciting. I was here once before for a junior doubles match but I never played in junior singles, I lost in quallies," she beamed after jetting in on Sunday. "I was thinking about Paris all last week, even when I was winning in Rabat.' Playing her mate's not ideal, though. "We've trained together quite a bit, travelled together and we're good friends, so it'll definitely be a difficult match, but a good match," she said of the clash with Tomljanovic, 13 years her senior. There are comparisons between the pair's introduction to Australian tennis. Tomljanovic switched her allegiance from Croatia to take advantage of the support of Tennis Australia over a decade ago and so has the US born-and-raised Joint, who's flourished since moving to Queensland. "Ajla's definitely given me a lot of advice and guidance," said Joint. "She's been really helpful to me, and I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. So, it's definitely gonna be difficult, but I'm excited. She's someone I've looked up to." On Thursday, Tomljanovic was a set down in Rabat when she withdrew to protect an abdominal complaint, but Joint's the favourite, really at home on the clay. Indeed, could she be that rarest of things - an Australian natural clay-courter? "Maybe," laughed the daughter of an Aussie dad and German mum. "I really enjoy clay. My grandparents live in Germany, so I went over there a lot in the summers and trained on the surface, so I'm pretty comfortable on it." More comfortable than the two Aussie wildcards on their French Open debuts, with Aiava succumbing 7-5 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Schoolkate losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. But Hijikata, who feels he's improved a lot on the surface, was left frustrated at going down to the tour's biggest man, the 2.11m, 102kg Opelka, 1-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3). AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY TWO OF THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding) WOMEN (17) Daria Kasatkina v Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Kim Birrell v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) Ajla Tomljanovic v Maya Joint Daria Saville v (7) Madison Keys (USA) MEN (25) Alexei Popyrin v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Jordan Thompson v Jiri Lehecka (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v (24) Karen Khachanov (RUS) Christopher O'Connell v (22) Ugo Humbert (FRA) Australia's newest tennis champ Maya Joint has breezed into Paris with a giggle, a slight air of disbelief but the unshakeable confidence of a fearless teen who quite fancies the idea of shocking everyone again with her first deep run at a grand slam. And the sight of the freshly minted 19-year-old Morocco Open champ excitedly taking a first hit on the Roland Garros clay on Sunday after a "crazy" couple of days when she won her first two WTA titles, in singles and doubles, felt just the pick-me-up the Aussies needed after a gloomy opening day wipe-out at the French Open. Wildcards Destanee Aiava, and Tristan Schoolkate both succumbed in straight sets on Sunday to hardened claycourt denizens while Rinky Hijikata's attempt at playing David to the giant American Reilly Opelka's Goliath didn't play to script either. But the good news? There'll be one Australian winner at least on Monday with Joint facing Ajla Tomljanovic, the battle-hardened former No.1 who the youngster has long looked up to. Yet though Joint cut a shy figure, sounding still a little amazed at what she's just achieved, it didn't stop her musing confidently here on Sunday: "I've definitely gained a lot of confidence from Rabat. Yeah, I think I can do well this week." There's been nothing bashful about her performances on court. Inscrutable behind her tinted shades, she displays the crisp hitting and clear thinking of a ruthless tennis veteran. She looks and sounds like a teen, just doesn't play like one. "It's really exciting. I was here once before for a junior doubles match but I never played in junior singles, I lost in quallies," she beamed after jetting in on Sunday. "I was thinking about Paris all last week, even when I was winning in Rabat.' Playing her mate's not ideal, though. "We've trained together quite a bit, travelled together and we're good friends, so it'll definitely be a difficult match, but a good match," she said of the clash with Tomljanovic, 13 years her senior. There are comparisons between the pair's introduction to Australian tennis. Tomljanovic switched her allegiance from Croatia to take advantage of the support of Tennis Australia over a decade ago and so has the US born-and-raised Joint, who's flourished since moving to Queensland. "Ajla's definitely given me a lot of advice and guidance," said Joint. "She's been really helpful to me, and I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. So, it's definitely gonna be difficult, but I'm excited. She's someone I've looked up to." On Thursday, Tomljanovic was a set down in Rabat when she withdrew to protect an abdominal complaint, but Joint's the favourite, really at home on the clay. Indeed, could she be that rarest of things - an Australian natural clay-courter? "Maybe," laughed the daughter of an Aussie dad and German mum. "I really enjoy clay. My grandparents live in Germany, so I went over there a lot in the summers and trained on the surface, so I'm pretty comfortable on it." More comfortable than the two Aussie wildcards on their French Open debuts, with Aiava succumbing 7-5 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Schoolkate losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. But Hijikata, who feels he's improved a lot on the surface, was left frustrated at going down to the tour's biggest man, the 2.11m, 102kg Opelka, 1-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3). AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY TWO OF THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding) WOMEN (17) Daria Kasatkina v Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Kim Birrell v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) Ajla Tomljanovic v Maya Joint Daria Saville v (7) Madison Keys (USA) MEN (25) Alexei Popyrin v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Jordan Thompson v Jiri Lehecka (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v (24) Karen Khachanov (RUS) Christopher O'Connell v (22) Ugo Humbert (FRA) Australia's newest tennis champ Maya Joint has breezed into Paris with a giggle, a slight air of disbelief but the unshakeable confidence of a fearless teen who quite fancies the idea of shocking everyone again with her first deep run at a grand slam. And the sight of the freshly minted 19-year-old Morocco Open champ excitedly taking a first hit on the Roland Garros clay on Sunday after a "crazy" couple of days when she won her first two WTA titles, in singles and doubles, felt just the pick-me-up the Aussies needed after a gloomy opening day wipe-out at the French Open. Wildcards Destanee Aiava, and Tristan Schoolkate both succumbed in straight sets on Sunday to hardened claycourt denizens while Rinky Hijikata's attempt at playing David to the giant American Reilly Opelka's Goliath didn't play to script either. But the good news? There'll be one Australian winner at least on Monday with Joint facing Ajla Tomljanovic, the battle-hardened former No.1 who the youngster has long looked up to. Yet though Joint cut a shy figure, sounding still a little amazed at what she's just achieved, it didn't stop her musing confidently here on Sunday: "I've definitely gained a lot of confidence from Rabat. Yeah, I think I can do well this week." There's been nothing bashful about her performances on court. Inscrutable behind her tinted shades, she displays the crisp hitting and clear thinking of a ruthless tennis veteran. She looks and sounds like a teen, just doesn't play like one. "It's really exciting. I was here once before for a junior doubles match but I never played in junior singles, I lost in quallies," she beamed after jetting in on Sunday. "I was thinking about Paris all last week, even when I was winning in Rabat.' Playing her mate's not ideal, though. "We've trained together quite a bit, travelled together and we're good friends, so it'll definitely be a difficult match, but a good match," she said of the clash with Tomljanovic, 13 years her senior. There are comparisons between the pair's introduction to Australian tennis. Tomljanovic switched her allegiance from Croatia to take advantage of the support of Tennis Australia over a decade ago and so has the US born-and-raised Joint, who's flourished since moving to Queensland. "Ajla's definitely given me a lot of advice and guidance," said Joint. "She's been really helpful to me, and I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. So, it's definitely gonna be difficult, but I'm excited. She's someone I've looked up to." On Thursday, Tomljanovic was a set down in Rabat when she withdrew to protect an abdominal complaint, but Joint's the favourite, really at home on the clay. Indeed, could she be that rarest of things - an Australian natural clay-courter? "Maybe," laughed the daughter of an Aussie dad and German mum. "I really enjoy clay. My grandparents live in Germany, so I went over there a lot in the summers and trained on the surface, so I'm pretty comfortable on it." More comfortable than the two Aussie wildcards on their French Open debuts, with Aiava succumbing 7-5 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Schoolkate losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. But Hijikata, who feels he's improved a lot on the surface, was left frustrated at going down to the tour's biggest man, the 2.11m, 102kg Opelka, 1-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3). AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY TWO OF THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding) WOMEN (17) Daria Kasatkina v Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Kim Birrell v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) Ajla Tomljanovic v Maya Joint Daria Saville v (7) Madison Keys (USA) MEN (25) Alexei Popyrin v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Jordan Thompson v Jiri Lehecka (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v (24) Karen Khachanov (RUS) Christopher O'Connell v (22) Ugo Humbert (FRA) Australia's newest tennis champ Maya Joint has breezed into Paris with a giggle, a slight air of disbelief but the unshakeable confidence of a fearless teen who quite fancies the idea of shocking everyone again with her first deep run at a grand slam. And the sight of the freshly minted 19-year-old Morocco Open champ excitedly taking a first hit on the Roland Garros clay on Sunday after a "crazy" couple of days when she won her first two WTA titles, in singles and doubles, felt just the pick-me-up the Aussies needed after a gloomy opening day wipe-out at the French Open. Wildcards Destanee Aiava, and Tristan Schoolkate both succumbed in straight sets on Sunday to hardened claycourt denizens while Rinky Hijikata's attempt at playing David to the giant American Reilly Opelka's Goliath didn't play to script either. But the good news? There'll be one Australian winner at least on Monday with Joint facing Ajla Tomljanovic, the battle-hardened former No.1 who the youngster has long looked up to. Yet though Joint cut a shy figure, sounding still a little amazed at what she's just achieved, it didn't stop her musing confidently here on Sunday: "I've definitely gained a lot of confidence from Rabat. Yeah, I think I can do well this week." There's been nothing bashful about her performances on court. Inscrutable behind her tinted shades, she displays the crisp hitting and clear thinking of a ruthless tennis veteran. She looks and sounds like a teen, just doesn't play like one. "It's really exciting. I was here once before for a junior doubles match but I never played in junior singles, I lost in quallies," she beamed after jetting in on Sunday. "I was thinking about Paris all last week, even when I was winning in Rabat.' Playing her mate's not ideal, though. "We've trained together quite a bit, travelled together and we're good friends, so it'll definitely be a difficult match, but a good match," she said of the clash with Tomljanovic, 13 years her senior. There are comparisons between the pair's introduction to Australian tennis. Tomljanovic switched her allegiance from Croatia to take advantage of the support of Tennis Australia over a decade ago and so has the US born-and-raised Joint, who's flourished since moving to Queensland. "Ajla's definitely given me a lot of advice and guidance," said Joint. "She's been really helpful to me, and I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. So, it's definitely gonna be difficult, but I'm excited. She's someone I've looked up to." On Thursday, Tomljanovic was a set down in Rabat when she withdrew to protect an abdominal complaint, but Joint's the favourite, really at home on the clay. Indeed, could she be that rarest of things - an Australian natural clay-courter? "Maybe," laughed the daughter of an Aussie dad and German mum. "I really enjoy clay. My grandparents live in Germany, so I went over there a lot in the summers and trained on the surface, so I'm pretty comfortable on it." More comfortable than the two Aussie wildcards on their French Open debuts, with Aiava succumbing 7-5 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Schoolkate losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. But Hijikata, who feels he's improved a lot on the surface, was left frustrated at going down to the tour's biggest man, the 2.11m, 102kg Opelka, 1-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3). AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY TWO OF THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding) WOMEN (17) Daria Kasatkina v Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Kim Birrell v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) Ajla Tomljanovic v Maya Joint Daria Saville v (7) Madison Keys (USA) MEN (25) Alexei Popyrin v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Jordan Thompson v Jiri Lehecka (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v (24) Karen Khachanov (RUS) Christopher O'Connell v (22) Ugo Humbert (FRA)
West Australian
25-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Grim Aussie start but Joint venture lifts Paris gloom
Australia's newest tennis champ Maya Joint has breezed into Paris with a giggle, a slight air of disbelief but the unshakeable confidence of a fearless teen who quite fancies the idea of shocking everyone again with her first deep run at a grand slam. And the sight of the freshly minted 19-year-old Morocco Open champ excitedly taking a first hit on the Roland Garros clay on Sunday after a "crazy" couple of days when she won her first two WTA titles, in singles and doubles, felt just the pick-me-up the Aussies needed after a gloomy opening day wipe-out at the French Open. Wildcards Destanee Aiava, and Tristan Schoolkate both succumbed in straight sets on Sunday to hardened claycourt denizens while Rinky Hijikata's attempt at playing David to the giant American Reilly Opelka's Goliath didn't play to script either. But the good news? There'll be one Australian winner at least on Monday with Joint facing Ajla Tomljanovic, the battle-hardened former No.1 who the youngster has long looked up to. Yet though Joint cut a shy figure, sounding still a little amazed at what she's just achieved, it didn't stop her musing confidently here on Sunday: "I've definitely gained a lot of confidence from Rabat. Yeah, I think I can do well this week." There's been nothing bashful about her performances on court. Inscrutable behind her tinted shades, she displays the crisp hitting and clear thinking of a ruthless tennis veteran. She looks and sounds like a teen, just doesn't play like one. "It's really exciting. I was here once before for a junior doubles match but I never played in junior singles, I lost in quallies," she beamed after jetting in on Sunday. "I was thinking about Paris all last week, even when I was winning in Rabat.' Playing her mate's not ideal, though. "We've trained together quite a bit, travelled together and we're good friends, so it'll definitely be a difficult match, but a good match," she said of the clash with Tomljanovic, 13 years her senior. There are comparisons between the pair's introduction to Australian tennis. Tomljanovic switched her allegiance from Croatia to take advantage of the support of Tennis Australia over a decade ago and so has the US born-and-raised Joint, who's flourished since moving to Queensland. "Ajla's definitely given me a lot of advice and guidance," said Joint. "She's been really helpful to me, and I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. So, it's definitely gonna be difficult, but I'm excited. She's someone I've looked up to." On Thursday, Tomljanovic was a set down in Rabat when she withdrew to protect an abdominal complaint, but Joint's the favourite, really at home on the clay. Indeed, could she be that rarest of things - an Australian natural clay-courter? "Maybe," laughed the daughter of an Aussie dad and German mum. "I really enjoy clay. My grandparents live in Germany, so I went over there a lot in the summers and trained on the surface, so I'm pretty comfortable on it." More comfortable than the two Aussie wildcards on their French Open debuts, with Aiava succumbing 7-5 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Schoolkate losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. But Hijikata, who feels he's improved a lot on the surface, was left frustrated at going down to the tour's biggest man, the 2.11m, 102kg Opelka, 1-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3). AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY TWO OF THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding) WOMEN (17) Daria Kasatkina v Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Kim Birrell v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) Ajla Tomljanovic v Maya Joint Daria Saville v (7) Madison Keys (USA) MEN (25) Alexei Popyrin v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Jordan Thompson v Jiri Lehecka (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v (24) Karen Khachanov (RUS) Christopher O'Connell v (22) Ugo Humbert (FRA)
Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Grim Aussie start but Joint venture lifts Paris gloom
Australia's newest tennis champ Maya Joint has breezed into Paris with a giggle, a slight air of disbelief but the unshakeable confidence of a fearless teen who quite fancies the idea of shocking everyone again with her first deep run at a grand slam. And the sight of the freshly minted 19-year-old Morocco Open champ excitedly taking a first hit on the Roland Garros clay on Sunday after a "crazy" couple of days when she won her first two WTA titles, in singles and doubles, felt just the pick-me-up the Aussies needed after a gloomy opening day wipe-out at the French Open. Wildcards Destanee Aiava, and Tristan Schoolkate both succumbed in straight sets on Sunday to hardened claycourt denizens while Rinky Hijikata's attempt at playing David to the giant American Reilly Opelka's Goliath didn't play to script either. But the good news? There'll be one Australian winner at least on Monday with Joint facing Ajla Tomljanovic, the battle-hardened former No.1 who the youngster has long looked up to. Yet though Joint cut a shy figure, sounding still a little amazed at what she's just achieved, it didn't stop her musing confidently here on Sunday: "I've definitely gained a lot of confidence from Rabat. Yeah, I think I can do well this week." There's been nothing bashful about her performances on court. Inscrutable behind her tinted shades, she displays the crisp hitting and clear thinking of a ruthless tennis veteran. She looks and sounds like a teen, just doesn't play like one. "It's really exciting. I was here once before for a junior doubles match but I never played in junior singles, I lost in quallies," she beamed after jetting in on Sunday. "I was thinking about Paris all last week, even when I was winning in Rabat.' Playing her mate's not ideal, though. "We've trained together quite a bit, travelled together and we're good friends, so it'll definitely be a difficult match, but a good match," she said of the clash with Tomljanovic, 13 years her senior. There are comparisons between the pair's introduction to Australian tennis. Tomljanovic switched her allegiance from Croatia to take advantage of the support of Tennis Australia over a decade ago and so has the US born-and-raised Joint, who's flourished since moving to Queensland. "Ajla's definitely given me a lot of advice and guidance," said Joint. "She's been really helpful to me, and I'm really lucky to have her as a friend. So, it's definitely gonna be difficult, but I'm excited. She's someone I've looked up to." On Thursday, Tomljanovic was a set down in Rabat when she withdrew to protect an abdominal complaint, but Joint's the favourite, really at home on the clay. Indeed, could she be that rarest of things - an Australian natural clay-courter? "Maybe," laughed the daughter of an Aussie dad and German mum. "I really enjoy clay. My grandparents live in Germany, so I went over there a lot in the summers and trained on the surface, so I'm pretty comfortable on it." More comfortable than the two Aussie wildcards on their French Open debuts, with Aiava succumbing 7-5 6-1 to Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska and Schoolkate losing 6-4 6-2 6-2 to Hungarian Marton Fucsovics. But Hijikata, who feels he's improved a lot on the surface, was left frustrated at going down to the tour's biggest man, the 2.11m, 102kg Opelka, 1-6 6-3 7-5 7-6 (7-3). AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY TWO OF THE FRENCH OPEN (Prefix denotes seeding) WOMEN (17) Daria Kasatkina v Katerina Siniakova (CZE) Kim Birrell v Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) Ajla Tomljanovic v Maya Joint Daria Saville v (7) Madison Keys (USA) MEN (25) Alexei Popyrin v Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) Jordan Thompson v Jiri Lehecka (CZE) Aleksandar Vukic v (24) Karen Khachanov (RUS) Christopher O'Connell v (22) Ugo Humbert (FRA)
